Talking clock



Get. 23, 1934. v PINTQ r L 1,977,860

' TALKING CLOCK Filed lay 28, 1930 4 Sheets-Sheet l Oct. -23, 1934. v PINTO ET AL 1 ,977,860

TALKING CLOCK Filed May 28, 1930 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 V. PINTQ El AL TALKING CLOCK Oct. 23, 1934.

Filed May 28, 1930 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 Mira nd! Oct. 23, 1934- V PNTO ET AL 1,977,860

TALKING CLOCK Filed Ilay 28, 1930 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Patented Oct. 23, 1934 UNITED STATES,

TALKING CLOCK Vincent Pinto and Joseph Pinto, Philadelphia,

Pa.; said Vincent Pinto assignor to said Joseph Pinto Application May 28, 1930, Serial No. 456,697

3 Claims.

Our invention relates 'to'a phonograph and clock mechanism adapted to give suitable talks at predetermined intervals'throughout the day, l

herein any sound device adapted to use in the intended way.

A purposeof our invention is to provide mechanism of the character indicated easy and inexpensive to manufacture and well suited to the needs of service. v

A further purpose is to combine a clock with a phonograph and to provide the phonograph with two motors, one to operate the disc turntable of the phonograph at predetermined intervals of the day'for a definite number of rotations of the table and to use the other motor for returning the tone or pick-up arm of the phonograph to. its outer position at the end of each day.

A further purpose is to lift the pick-up needle and swing the pick-up arm inwardly at the end of the record to close a switch in the circuit of a motor for returning the tone arm to its outer position.

A further purpose is toapply an. automatic gravity slide return to the pickup or tone arm of a phonograph after the arm has'completed its record.

A further purpose is to provide mechanism of the character indicated with first and second circuits respectively of the turntable and for a return motor and to use cam means operated by theclock fofturning on the phonograph motor atpredetermined intervals and means 0perated by the motor itself for turning ed the motor after it has reached a predetermined an- 40 gular position or a predetermined number of revolutions adequate for carrying the talk of. the

record. I

A further purpose is to include a switch for the circuit of a return motor in the circuit of a phonograph motor, the said switch being open on one circuit when closed on the other and, vice versa, closed on the other when open on the first.

A further purpose is to provide desirable 59 mechanism adapting the operation of a phonograph motor to be readily set in exact synchronism with that of a controlling clock.

A further purposevis to operate any desired number of loud speakers at predetermined intervals by means of a combined clock and phonograph, preferably. providing clock controlled switch connections between the phonograph amplifier and the individual loud speakers adapting the speakers to receive selectively any, all or none of the talks of the phonograph. 60

Further purposes will appear in the specification and in the claims. 1

We have elected to show one main form only of our invention, indicating however its adaptation to easy modification to suit particular needs, and have selected aform that is practical and eflicient in operation and which well illustrates the principles involved.

Figure 1 is a top plan view of phonograph mechanism embodying a desirable form on one portion of our invention.

Figure 2 is a plan view generally corresponding to Figure 1 but with the turntable and disc removed to disclose operating mechanism.

Figure 3' is a vertical sectiontaken upon the line 3-3 of Figure 2. p j

Figure 4 is a view taken upon the line 4-4 of Figure 2 being in the same plane as 3-3 but looking in the reverse direction.-

' Figure 5 is a fragmentary side elevation of structure shown in Figures 1 and 2.

Figure 6 is a vertical section taken upon the line 6-6 of Figure 2 illustrating switch mechanism of the return motor circuit that is connected in parallel with switch mechanism illusg5 trated in Figure 5.

Figure 7 is a fragmentary section taken upon the line '7--7 of Figure 1 illustrating resetting mechanism, mechanism that returns the pick-up arm to its initial position at the end of a day.

Figure 8 is a side elevation intended to be largely diagrammatic and including diagrammatic circuits used in our invention.

Figure 9 is a diagrammatic View illustrating electrical contact mechanism involved in our invention.

Figure 10 is a diagrammatic view illustrating our device adapting different loud speakers to speak selectively diiferent talks of our phonograph record.

Figure 11 is a side elevation of a contact member shown in Figure 10 and Figure 12 is a section taken upon the line 12-l2 of Figure 11.

. Like numerals refer to like parts in all figures.

Describing in illustration and. not in limitation and referring to the drawings.

In the illustration a phonograph mechanism that is desirably inserted inside the lower portion of the casing of a chime clock includes a turntable l0, disc 11, pick-up mechanism 12, amplifler 13 and one or more loud speakers 14, all of which may be individually in accord with corresponding members of the prior art.

The pick-up arm 12 is vertically pivoted upon a horizontal bracket 15 and its pick-up needle 16 leads the arm inwardly across the disc in the usual way from an outer position at the beginning of the record to inner position at the end of the record.

Most of the mechanism is mounted on a base 1'7, and motors 18 and 19 respectively for operating the turntable and for resetting the pick-up or tone arm 12 are suitably mounted on the under and upper sidesof the base plate.

The disc motor 18 has reduction gearing connection 20 with the vertical shaft 21 of the disc, and the shaft 21 makes a mitre gear connection 22 with a horizontal shaft 23 that has a worm and worm wheel connection 24 with a horizontal shaft 25, the horizontal shafts 23 and 25 being supported in suitable bearings 26.

' The shaft 25 carries a cam wheel 2'1 which cooperates in controlling the circuits of the two motors.

We provide the pick-up arm with a bracket extension 28 and mount on this bracket a vertical plate 29 for use in engaging the end of a stop rod 30 when the arm is reset.

We also provide the bracket 28 with a downwardly'directed wheel 31 that rolls along a slideway 32 and when this slideway is elevated by the motor 19 effects a resetting of the pick-up byrolling down the slideway until stopped by the plate 29 coming against the end of the longitudinally adjustable stop rod 30.

The slideway is rigidly fastened to a horizontal rocker shaft 33 and is normally horizontally above the table 10. It is positioned angularly by a face cam 34 controlled by the motor 19.

The rocker shaft 33 is supported in suitable bearings 35 at the upper end of a fork bracket 36 that is fastened to the base plate 1'1.

The rocker shaft 33 carries a downwardly extending arm 37 which engages the inwardly directed cam 34, the cam being mounted upon a horizontal shaft 38 that is supported in bearings 39 and has worm and worm wheel connection 40 with a shaft 41, which turns in bearings 42, has a fork and pin coupling 43 with the shaft of the motor 19 and carries a governor 44 of the motor.

The shaft 38 carries a second cam '45 whose high point operates a knife 47 pivoted at 48 and" forming a switch connecting with contacts 49 for operating a switch 46 in the motor circuit and its gear connection 40 to the motor gives the shaft a suitable speed reduction as compared to the motor.

Each return of the pick-up arm involves a single rotation of the shaft 38 with a greater number of rotations of the motor according to the degree of gear reduction at 40.

The stop pin 30 has a longitudinally adjustable support on the bracket 36 and is adjusted to bring the pick-up to rest in exact registry with the beginning of a record.

The shaft 25 carrying the cam plate 27 is geared to make one revolution for any predetermined number of revolutions of the turntable that are considered adequate to carry the reproduction or talking portion of the record.

, It will be understood that the record on the disc, spiralling continuously from near the outside to near the center of the disc, may include any desired number of sound reproduction por-. tions which are respectively included in and form a portion only of successive equal division lengths portion for some little distance each side of the talk portion.

The switch mechanism and circuits are best explained in connection with the diagrammatic Figure 8 which has its reference characters corresponding to those on Figures 1 to 8 but should be considered purely diagrammatic and for the sake of cleamess shows a difference of form and relative placement from the actual structure illustrated in the other figures.

There are four circuits, three directed to the operation of the phonograph and the automatic return of the tone arm and the fourth directed to the selective control by the timed mechanism of any desired number of loud speakers.

The first circuit includes an electromagnet 50, spaced contacts 51 adapted to be closed by a time element 52 desirably a pin on a wheel 53 that may be the chime cam of a clock, a rocker 54 pivoted at 55 carrying one of the contacts 51 presenting a toe in the path of the travelling pin 52.

The circuit also includes a source of energy 56 and suitable wiring 57 and preferably also a switch 58 for throwing out the clock connection when setting the disc record with respect to the clock.

The -second circuit includes an energy source 59, the motor 18 for operating the turntable 10 of the phonograph, a switch 80 always. closed when the magnet armature is retracted and open when a rocker 81 pivoted at 82 and carrying the magnet armature 83 is pulled to the magnet by reason of the closure of the first circuit, and

a second switch 84. r

The second switch 84 is normally latched open by-means of a rocker 85 that is pivoted at 68, spring pulled at 67 and presents one end 89 under the rocker 81, this end being deflected downwardly when the magnet is energized to permit spring closure of the switch 84, the closure of the second switch 64 taking place when the first switch 80 is open so that the motor 18 cannot start during the closure of the first circuit.

The second switch 84 includes a rocker 70, pivoted at 71 and spring pulled. at 72 toward switch closure.

The upper end of the rocker '10 has a pin and cam connection '13 with the rocker 85 and a rocker latch member '14, pivoted at '15 and spring pulled at '18 latches under the outer end of the.

rocker 85 when the inner end of this member moves down at the closure of first circuit, preventing the rocker 85 from spring retraction when the rocker 61 retracts upwardly at the opening of the first circuit.

The rocker 81 normally maintains the first.

' rocker 61.

It takes some little time for the motor 18 to pick up its normal speed and the sound reproducE-ng portion of the record therefore does not begin until the motor has madeone or more complete turns or turned sufliciently to. attain nor mal speed. r

The phonograph motor 18 is connected to rotate a cam disc 27 that carries a pin projection 2'? adapted to engage and retract the latch 74 that initially holds the rocker 65 from retraction and at this time to present a cam surface 77 adapted to take the place of the latch in blocking the outer end of the rocker 65 from a spring retracting movement that would open the second switch 64.

We form the cam 27 to permit enough downward retraction of the rocker 65 to let the rocker.

block the spring return of the rocker 74 to its latching position after its release by the pin 2'7.

The operating connection between the motor 18 and the cam wheel 27 is such as to have the cam Wheel make one revolution for any predetermined desired number of revolutions of th phonograph disc.

When the table has made this predetermined number of turns, for example sixteen turns, the cam wheel brings a step 78 to the rocker permltting sudden downward retraction of the rocker which deflects the member 70 to open the switch 64 and stop the motor 18.

Opening the second switch 64 closes a switch '79 in the third circuit which includes the energy source 59, the motor 19 for returning the tone arm to initial position, parallel switches 46 and 80 and the switch '79 in the main circuit.

The switches 64 and '79 include a common movable element 81 that comprises a downward conducting extension from the rocker 70, the stationary contacts of the switches 64 and 79 lying on opposite sides of the element 81 so that both switches cannot be open at the same time, either 'being open while the other is closed.

The circuit of the motor 19 ,for the return of the tone arm thus includes three switches, one of which '79 is in the main circuit and the other two 46 and 80 are in parallel, the main circuit switch being always on open circuit when the motor of the phonograph is on closed circuit and always closed when the switch 64 of the phonograph circuit is open.

The parallel switches 46 and 80 of the return motor circuit are normally both open except mr a short time during which the return motor is operated to effect a return of the tone arm 12.

The switch 80 is mountedto one side of the tone arm pivot and is normally latched open, its

' movable contact being mounted on a horizontal rocker 82 that is pivoted at 83, is spring pressed at 82' in a direction to effect switch closure, the rearward end of the rocker 82 latching over an upwardly directed step 85 of a rocker 86 which is pivoted at 87 and presents an upwardly directed vertical plate 88 in position to'be engaged by the end of a rod 89 presented by the tone arm as the tone arm is reaching the end of the record.

The latch 86 is spring pulled at 90 to effect latching and the rocker 82 eifects spring closure of the switch 80 when the rod 89 on the tone arm pushes back the latch 86 by engaging the plate 88. The switch 80 is opened and latched open by the return movement of the tone arm, as explained in connection with the engagement of 1 rod 89 with one of the latch members 86 the lower end of a vertical pin 91 on a bracket 92 carried by the tone arm engaging the sloping surface of an upward projection 93 near the forward end of the rocker 82, which depresses the forward end of the rocker, opening the switch 80.

The retracting movement of the tone arm thus effects an opening of the switch 80 but before this takes place the switch 46 which by-passes the switch 80 has been closed by the cam 45 and rocker 94, thereby permitting continued operation of the motor 19 until the cam 45 has completed one complete turn when a projection 95 of the rocker switch member runs off a step 96 of the cam causing the switch to fly open and stopping the return motor 19.

It will be understood that the tone arm remains unretracted at the end of the record until the motor 19 has raised the resetting slide 32 suificient for a gravitational retraction of the tone arm by running down the slide, the tone arm reopening the switch 80 when it finally starts to roll back to its resetting'position.

We provide means for setting the rocker 65 in position ijor closure of the switch 64. This includes a horizontal rod 100 supported in spaced bearings 101, carrying a handle or knob 102 and a cam projection 103 under the outer end of the rocker 65.

Normally the rod 100 has an angular position permitting the normal and described operation of the rocker 65'.

By a suitable angular turn of the knob 102 the projection 103 engages and lifts the outerend of the rocker 65 which releases the switch 64 to spring closure starting the turntable motor unless the switch 60 is open.

We use the rod 100 when it is desired to operate the mechanism as an ordinary phonograph, that is to play any ordinary record without the clock control, and also use it for easy synchronizing of the special record that carries talks for delivery at different predetermined times throughout the day with the clock.

We may temporarily replace our special record that delivers clock controlled talks at predetermined intervals throughout the day with any ordinary record, setting the pick-up needle at the beginning of the record and start playing byan angular turn of the knob 102.

We may desirably at this time open the clock circuit at the switch 58, otherwise the circuit may become closed for a short period by the clock pin 52 engaging thelever 54 which would shut down the turntable motor by opening the switch 60.

In setting our special record into synchronism with the clock, we set the pick-up needle at the beginning of the record, start the first record by an'angular reciprocation of the knob 102 which permits the rocker '74 to latch the outer end of the rocker 65 in raised position and the motor 18 to operate until itscircuit is opened at the end of the first talk incident to the release of the latch by the pin 76.

In the same way we play other talks for the time already passed by the clock, stopping the motor 18 at the end of the last passed record by the cam wheel 27.

Suppose for example the time is 7:15 and the record includes talks to be given on every hour and every half hour, we simply play the records one after the other up to and including that for 7:00 o'clock, starting each record by an angular reciprocation ofthe knob to be stopped by the cam wheel 27.

7 After the 7:00 record has been played the disc and pick-up are in proper synchronism with the It will be seen that the loud speakers 14 may be placed far apart, for example in different rooms of a hotel and set to reproduce selectively different messages, for example, occupants of different rooms may be wakened at different times in the morning with selectively different messages, as in one room the reproduction may be merely Good morning, 7 :15. Time to get up and in the next room "Good morning, 7:30. Time to get up, both messages being reproduced on the record at the respective times and the loud speakers selectively reproducing only the desired message.

Diagrammatic illustrations of the connections for effecting different selective reproduction of the records from the disc at different loud' speakers areillustrated in Figures 10 to 12 inclusive.

We show the amplifier and tone control members 13 and 105 respectively in the main circuit of the pick-up.

One wire from the amplifier goes to a rotating contact member 106 while the other wire connects to one side of the individual loud speakers insulated bearings 107 and 108 and is turned by suitable. connection 109 with the clock, de-

sirably making one revolution in twenty-four hours.

The contact member 106- is bent into the form of a crank between the bearings 107 and 108, the crank portion 110 having a uniform distance from the axis of the rotation which is uniformly spaced from relatively insulated contact rings 11 1, 112, 113 and 114.

Three of therings are shown individually connected to the three loud speakers and inwardly extending contact wires 115 are provided at each contact ring that are individually adapted to engage the rotating crank at the diflerent times during which the record is playing.

In the preceding figures we have shown'a single contact member 51 closed by the operation of one or more pins 52 carried upon a'wheel 53.

Obviously we may close the first circuit as illustrated in Figure 10 by means of ,the ring 114 having any desired number of radially inwardly extending pins 115 each adapted to engage the rotating crank contact member 110 at diiferent times of the day.

It will be understood that the rings are stationary and that there should be provided a suitable dial 116, also stationary, indicating the'time at which the rotating contact member will engage the lateral contacts at different positions by the rotating contact 110 at definite times while the pins left in an outward position are missed by the rotating contactmember 110.

It will be seen that the loud speakers selectively receive or miss messages reaching the amplifler in accord asto the in or out positions of the pins 115 at the different contact rings.

It will be seen that some of the more salient features of our invention include the closing of the circuit of the turntable motor by the spring release of a member deflected by the clock with a subsequent 0pm of the circuit by the operation of the motor itself;

The spring closure of the circuit of the motor 19 that effects the return of the pick-up arm to its initial position by the opening movement of the circuit of the turntable motor when the pick-up has'reached the end of the record with means operated by the return motor after it has effected the return of the pick-up arm for opening the circuit;

The arrangement of switches in the return motor circuit which includes a switch '79 closed by the opening movement of a switch in the turntable motor circuit, each time the circuit of the turntable is opened to stop the turntable,- a second switch closed by the pick-up arm as it is passing to the end of the record and opened by the retraction of the pick-up arm toward its initial position, a third switch by-passing the second switch, closed by the operation .of the return motor before the retraction of the tone arm and opened by the operation of the return motor after the motor has effected the return of the pick-up;

The combination of a record disc having a spiralling needle-guiding record groove continu- ,ous from the beginning to the end of a record with reproduction records at intervals along the groove, a tum-table operated at timed intervals each time throughout the same angular movement and means synchronizing the pick-up needle, disc and turntable, so that the needle is on a non-reproduction portion of the groove at the beginning and end of each intermittent movement of the table and travels along one of the records throughout an intermediate portion of the movement.

Another feature is directed to the slide return of the pick-up arm in which the slide is positioned as to angular elevation by an endless cam having reduction gear connection with the return motor, the cam shaft carrying a second cam for opening the circuit of the return motor after the slide has been elevated to return the tone arm and then retracted to a horizontal position and the circuit preferably closed automatically when the tone arm reaches the end of its record.

We prefer to end the inward movement ofthe pick-up arm by means of an upwardly directed cam 120 near the center of the disc 10 rotating with the disc. We illustrate a downwardly extending pin 121 upon the arm 28 that carries the roller 31.

The lower end of the pin engages the spiral cam 120 after the tone arm has reached the end of the record. The canilifts the pick-up box sufficiently to relieve the engagement between the pick-up needle and record and spiralling inward, gives the final inward movement to the tone arm that effects release of the latch member 85 in order to close the switch to permit closure of the circuit of the return motor when the cam 27 opens the switch 64 and closes the switch 79 in the circuit of the return motor.

In view of our invention and disclosure varia-. tions and modifications to meet individual whim or particular need will doubtless become evident to others skilled in the art, to obtain all or part of the benefits of our invention without copying the structure shown, and we, therefore claim all such in so far as they fall within the reasonable spirit and scope of our invention.

Having thus described our invention, what we claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a device of the character described, a turntable motor, a cam shaft, a reduction gear connection between the motor and shaft adapting the motor to slowly rotate the shaft, first and second switches, a rocker resiliently retracting to a position at which it maintains the first switch closed, a second rocker adapted to be deflected by deflection of the first rocker and having a normal position at which it holds the second switch open, said second switch spring-pressed toward closure, a latch, a motor circuit including a source of energy, the motor and the first and second switches, clock mechanism for deflectingthe first rocker at timed intervals thereby deflecting the second rocker, the latch maintaining the second rocker in depressed position and the depression of the second rocker permitting spring closure of the second switch so that the circuit closes when the clock mechanism releases the first rocker and means operative by the cam shaft for releasing the latch and when the cam has completed one revolution, for permitting resilient retraction of the second rocker and thereby an opening of the second switch.

2. In a device of the character described, a turn-table carrying a disc record, a pick-up pivoted vertically and horizontal1y, whereby the pick-up can travel across the disc and also be elevated from the disc, in combination with a turn-table motor, a return motor, operating electric circuits for the motors, aswitch in each circuit, a two-way switch, connections whereby when said two-way switch is in one position the circuit to the turn-table motor is prepared to be closed by said switch therein, and when the said two-way switch is in the other position, the circuit to said return motor is prepared to be closed by said switch therein, means operative by the turn-table motor at the ends of successive equal extents of turning, each of which completes one division of the record, for positioning the switch for the operation of the return motor, a second switch in the circuit of the return motor closed by the passing of the pick-up to the end of its record and opened by the retraction of the pickup from the end of the record, a third switch by-passing the second switch closed by the operation of the return motor before the retraction of the pick-up arm and opened by the operation of the return motor after the retraction of the pickup arm and the completion of a cycle of movement of mechanism effecting the retraction.

3. In a device of the character described, a switch, clock mechanism closing the switch at periodic intervals, a relay having a resiliently retracted rocker and an e lectro-magnet, an electric circuit including the magnet and the switch whereby the relay is periodically energized, a rotary motor and a second electric circuit including the motor and a source of energy, means for closing the motor circuit operative by the resilient retraction of the rocker after it has been deflected by the magnet and means for opening the motor circuit by the action of the motor after it has progressed a pre-determined definite number of turns.

VINCENT PINTO. JOSEPH PINTO. 

